PARLIAMENTARY.

Timaru Herald, Volume LII, Issue 5166, 12 June 1891, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY.

THE GOVERNOE'3 SPEECH. (By Teiegbaph.) LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. WELLINGTON, June 11. j The second sesaioa of th» eleventh Pnrliirr.ent of New Zealand woa opened ah 2.30 thi3 afternoon by tho Governor m person. The uaual ceremonies were observed on tlic occa- ' aion, and punctually at tbo appointed tirr.e His Excellency entered tlie Legislative Council Chamber, accompanied by the Consuls of Germany, Franca, Sweden, and Norway, Portugal, and Italy. Lady Onslow and her daughter* wore present. The floor and gallery were crowded, principally with ladies. Thor-3 wera thirteen members of the Council and forty-fire of the House of Representatives present, including all the Ministers. Hl3 Excellency was pleased to make the following epeesh : — Hok. Gbhtiißmbk op the Legislative COUNCIL AND Obnll/EMEX OF THE House op Kepbesentative3. It gives ma much pleasure to meet yon ia Parliament assembled. I have been much gratiGed during the autumn months of this year to meet m many places numerous gatherings of our fellow-subjects of the Maori race. The reception m nit cases accorded to me as Her Itajeety'a Representative was such as I can recall with unmixed satisfaction. In particular I was glad to be able to traverse a portion of tho country of the Uriwera tribe, hitherto so seldom visited by Europeans. There the welcome given to me by no means fell short m cordiality of that bestowed upon me elsewhere, and left upon me the pleasant impression that thia famous tribe ha 3 now at any rite ceased to be determinedly committed to the persistent desire for isolation attribnted to it for many yeara past. I am able upon the whole to congratulate you npon tho continued evidences of the soundness of thß colony's financial position, and the substantial progress made by its chief industries. The provision made during the Beasion of 1890 for carrying on the public services has proved more tf;an sufficient. The elasticity of the colony's resources has been again shown by a further increase m the alrendy remarkable volume of our exports, which has now •attained dimensions sufficiont to convince tho moat apprehensive that tbo resources of Naw Zealand nro far moro than sufficiont for the fulfilment o? all her obligations. At tha same time my Ministers think it would be a mistake to ignore the unfortunate exodus of population from our shores to lh« neighbouring colonies, ■which still goes on without abatement. The returns of tho census now m course of completion, satisfactory oad encouraging as they ,;re m moat respects, appear to ohow that a atf.eanj of emigration, constant though not large, has continued to flow from these i.?land3 to Australia. My Minister; consider that this Btrange phenomenon, foi such it must, bs considered m bo young aorl richly endowed a country as this, is well worthy both of systematic investigation, and of tho application end persevering uae ol rational remedies. The alienation of thf waste tends of the Crown has been going on during t. 1 *" laefc twelve months at a rapid r/ite My Miniei'^Mi however, ara of opinion that for some yc."^" P a9t tilo amount of actual settlement effcc'«d has not been quite cony monsurato with lv« somewhat large area o! land disposed of. WlVila it is doubtless true that » number of genuine nattlnrs havo toiler up lanrl, it seoms nlno urforiW-iWy to b D th( Cfiis that m many inatancc3 selectjon, instcat of bringing about occupation and CHiMvation hai only mnunt acquisition for speculative pur poses or additions to OBtates already sufficient)} if not indeed injuriously largo. Amendment! m tho land laws dom'gned rigirHy to ruaervi the remainder of our Crown landa for gecuini occupation and improvement vfiil therefor** D luid before you. My Advisera propose tha' tho utility of this legislation shall be aug mentod by jegulations designed and ad ministered with tho view of planting an m creasing number of small cecupiort upon the Boil. My advisers aro convinnnci that im proved and vigorous mctliods of settling thi wasto lands of tho Crown, howovcr riccea aary and valuablo, do not by any mean cojnprise the wholo ncope of tho r?ork o settjument. Side by sido with tho openini oip <>' Grown lando should »o tho acquisition •of portions of tho va?t tracts still held fay th native tribes of tho Korth Island. Moroove (he time i!«oma to be approaching when th immonsn taok of repurchasing parts of til largo privato estates which now bar eottlc cnunt ia flomo of tha most fort.ilo parts of th colony muat be entorod upon, on undertaken with caution, justice, an.

discrimination. During the recoßS a Royal Commission composed of gonllemon of long special exporionce of tho customs and opinions of tho Native raco bus carefully investigated the working of the complicated, costly, and cumbrous array of laws wbich has for so many years rather hindered than advanced tho oonrso of dealing with and Bettleinont upon Maori tribal lands. 'Jho full and interesting report prepared by the Commissioners will bo kid before you, and you will bo invitod to give your assent to lu.w» carefully framed to further the undoubted desire of tho greut majority of nativeownors to dispose of their superfluous lands on fair terms. 1 have observed with regret that the past year has been marked by a distinct and discouraging decline m tho yield of our goldfleldn. During the last three mouths, howovor, tho mining) returno iudicate a considerable improvement. It is very gratifying to find that the output I from tho soveral coal mines of tho colony ia steadily increasiug, and has attained an amount hitherto unkuown ia tho colony. With tho increased output from our coal mines, there ia a corresponding decrease m the quantity of coal imported. Proposals for promoting "the development of tho mining industries of tho colony by legislation and other means trill bo submitted to you. Iv accordance with tho decision arrived at by the late Parliament three delegates from this colony attended tho National Australasian Convention held at Sydney m the months of March and April last. The Hon. Sir H. A. Atkinson, Sir Sir George Grey, K.G.8., and Captain Bussell wore accredited for that purpose. Tho official record of tho proceedings of tho Convontion will be laid before you. At tho Postal Conforenco held at, Sydney about the same time this colony was represented by the Postmaster-General. Ho>\ GentliEhejn" or the Legislative Council. I deeply regret that within a period of a very few mouths your Council has been deprived by death of three much esteemed members. Ons of those, your late Speaker, Sir W. Fitzlerbert, had completsd a public career of more thaD ordinary length and distinction. Gentlemen of the Hottse of HepbesenTAIIVE3. Tb^ estimates of revenue aud expenditure will be laid before you. Tho estimates of expenditure have been framed with a due regard to economy. In continuance of the work of retrenchment begun m 18SS, cud carried on by the last Parliament, my Miuialors have not hesitated to reduce thfl co:fc of their difforont Departments wherever this could bo fai'ly and prudently done. In this way substantial savings have been effected, the details of which you will, as a matter of course, have every opportunity to discuss. My Ministers are of opinion that the time has come for effecting a bold rstorm of the chief part cf the direct taxation as now loviod, and Dills have been prepared for this purpose. In these proposals, however, my Advisers have studiously borno iv mind that financial changefl should as a matter of expediency be made gradually, aa as neither to shake the public sense of security nor to run the risk of any loss of revenue. Ho>-. Gentlemen of tiie Legislative Council, and Gentlemen op the hou3b of bepee3entativeß. A measure will be submitted to you, providing for the reform of tho Lecislativo Council, m a manner which my Advisors believe will ba found to be m accord with tho puWic expectation. It will bo m your recslloctiati that Borne timo since the Imperial Government; invited this colony to enter into an arrangement by which tho rate of postngo to .Europe would be reduced to 2id per letter. The lato Parliament sisnified its wish that this arrangement should bo made. This has accordingly been done^with most satisfactory results. Following on this you will be asked to assent; to a still moro important postal change, which it ia thought should ba aeceptabl« to all sections of tho community. Returns will ba kid baforo you containing information of the results of all branches of traffic upon the railways'. Thcee will present; one or two features calling for your special att»ntion. Thero aro now ready for your consideration Bills for consolidating and amonding tho law relating to electors and elections, and for completing the abolition of plural voting, for classifying and improving the Civil Service, amending the law sffVeting gold mining and the working of our coil fi?ld?, altering and consolidating tho law of bankruptcy, defining tho law of libel, amending tho lnwa relating to companies and to juries, filing the liability of promoters aud directors of companies, and consolidating and codifying the criminal law, aa well os other Bills dealing with matters of public interest. Theso Bills will shortly be placed boforo you. iMy Advisers propose to proEenuto with vigour the l construction of toproductive public works out of such moneys as are or may become available for the purpose In letting contracts for public works my Advisers hive endeavoured jto discourage the practico known as subcontracting, and they propose as far as posaiblo to oncourage the association of workmen on the co-operative principle. In th 3 session of la?t year a number of Bills, dealing with matters referred to m the roport of tho Sweating Commission, and with other matters of special interest to employers and omDloyed, woro introduced, but only one passed.' into law. My Ad via era propose to again introduce thcaa Bills, ■with certain amendments, and will aek you to give them your earliest and most careful consideration. In addition to these another Bill, providing forth 9 establishment of Boards of Conciliation nnd Courts of Arbitration, to deal with industrial disputes, has been prepared and will be laid before you. My Advisers believe that a measure of this nature is earnestly desired by thoughtful observers of tho many and undiminiahing difficulties which besot tho relations of Ittbour to capital. I commend these matters to your attention. I assure you of my heartfelt dosire to aid your efforts to further the interests of tho country, and I pray that your labours may, with the blessing of God, promote the happiness and the welfare of tho people of New Zealand. LEAVE OF AB3ENOE. It was announced that leave of absence was granted to Meaera Wahawaba and Oliver. SEAT VACANT. It was announced that Mr Wigloy's aoat was vacant by reason of his absence for two sessions without leavo. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL KEFOB3I J3IIL. 7 Notice was given to introduce next day the i Legislative Council Reform Bill. fc ADJOURNMENT. 1 Tho Council will adjourn over to-morrow 3 out of 'rescect to tho memory of members J who havo died during the recess. 1 THE ADDBEBB IN BEPI/ST. 1 Mr Mnguiro took his seat for Egmont, and f afterwards announced that he would move b the Address m Hoply. 1 PETITIONS AND NOTICES. ' Considerable timo waß devoted to receiving ; petifcion3 and noticosiof motion. THE TE AEOHA SEAT, f Tho fpeakci 1 read tho judgment declaring Mr Allen unseated (on To Aroha and disqual--5 fled for a year. Idr Bryco said that it waa not Mr Allon'n j fault, and askod if there were no moano of ! preventing tho judgment being entered on .' the records of tho Houso. I Tho Speaker ruled that, under tho Act, it 3 must bo done ah once. 0 After a short dißCUosion tho jurigmeufc was orderrd to bo entered iv tho usual way. g i Tho Premier moved that the Speaker issue <. a now writ. j" The motion was ngrcod to. i- HVGaZBTBV AfIJOUDNMBNT. i. Mr Eryca suggested that as bo mitny momo bora wero absent, the debate on tho Address i- m Beply uhouH bo postponed after the o mover and 6econdor bad apoken. He roally i- was not awaro whothor tho Opposition wished « to dobato it or nofc. ' f Iho Protnior saiii Mint tho Govornmont p; doaircd to get on with the Oiujteflß, of which a I hero would bo plenty to-morrow, aid if tho o Opposition wished to dobato tho Address, >r those members of that tido present could io easily apoak to morrow night, nnd so Ireop tbo io (lebato altve. Tho Government, would give 3- evpry opportunity to the House of debating io the Address. d The Hens') adjourned at 4 p.rn, till tod (morrow.

SUPREME COURT. (BX TELL-GEiPH.) WELLINGTON Jdne 11. Tn tho Divorce Court to-day m tho caGes of Cederland aud Gooden v. Goodon, the decrees wero mado absolute. TSUI GAZETTE. (By Xeiesbaph.) WELLINGTON, June 11. The appointment of Mr James Koinmis f Warburton to the position of Deputy of tho Public Trustee, undor the PublioTrußt 1 Office Aot, 1872, ia gazetfcod tonight. The Southland Yeomanry Huesara have boon disbanded as from the 13th April, 1891.